All But Forgotten
by Francesca Jones
Summary: Each day, something about her fades from his mind. But there's still one thing he insists on holding on too.... Oneshot future fic about Jess's life after Rory.


**Disclaimer:** If I owned anything, I'd be pulling a Scrooge McDuck and swimming in my mountains of money, not writing

**A/N: **This is just a little one-shot fic that came to me as I was about to go to bed. I hope you all like it. Reviews make me happy!

**All but Forgotten**

For his 21st birthday, they give him the gift of knowledge. Jess is confused at first, but his mother and Luke explain their intentions. They've done all they can. They've sold assets, received loans, taken out second mortgages, cashed in bonds, and made wise stock market decisions. Even his father-_his father_- donated money to the cause. They were giving him enough money to complete as many years of college as he wanted to. Bachelor's degree, masters, and doctorate-they gave him enough money to do it all. The only rule was that the money could _only _be used for schooling. If they found out he was spending a penny of it elsewhere, it would all be taken back. He curses himself for letting it slip that he'd received his GED earlier that year.

He's 22 when he enrolls in a local community college full-time. He still works full-time at a gas station to earn money for his expenses, but when there are no customers he now pulls out his schoolwork, intent on learning as much as possible

Every girl he sees is her. His first semester at school, she is two of his professors, his manager's sister, and the girl who lives two floors above him in his apartment building. Sometimes, he pumps more gas than he's supposed to because his head is wrapped around thoughts of her, not about the fuel cutoff.

He transfers after two years at community college. He chooses Fordham because there's a nice fountain there that's perfect for reading between classes when he doesn't have time to go back to his apartment. He declares Literature as his major, of course, but has no idea what he wants to do with it. With each day that passes, he sees her fewer times. She's only one of his professors now, and that one girl who sits in front of him in his Shakespeare class.

He graduates in four years just as he intended to. His mother and Luke are so proud. They take four rolls of film at his graduation. Luke gets a little misty-eyed, but declares that the pollen in the air is affecting his sinuses. His mother hugs him as if she never wants to let him go. Lorelai attends the ceremony with Luke, offering Jess a congratulatory handshake. Jess stiffly shakes her hand, willing himself not to let her presence affect him. He tries to think of anything else than Lorelai's daughter. He is thankful for the subject change when his mom asks what he's going to do now. Jess sheepishly admits to being inspired by one of his professors, and he's going to get a Masters degree and go into teaching. Lorelai and Liz share a giggle at the thought while Luke beams proudly at his nephew.

He and Luke get together for lunch a few times a year. They always avoid one particular topic-a topic with gorgeous blue eyes and a Yale education. They speak of Luke's relationship with Lorelai, and of Jess's lack of a serious relationship. They discuss school and diner, New York and Stars Hollow. It is at one of these lunches, when Jess is 28, that Luke announces his engagement to Lorelai. Luke asks Jess to be his best man. He hesitantly accepts.

He knows that she's going to be the maid of honor. How could she not be? They almost make it through the week without speaking at all. He watches her when she doesn't know he's looking. He peers at her from behind a book, and now and then catches her looking back. The night of the rehearsal dinner, she tentatively asks what he's reading. He shows her the cover of The Fountainhead and she smiles softly. He mumbles about how he needs to reread it for a class and she nods her head. She looks ready to say something else, but instead she just pushes her long brown hair behind her ear and walks away. Jess's heart leaps into his throat at the sight of the engagement ring on her finger. When he leaves after the wedding, he gets drunk for three nights in a row. When he returns to classes that fall, everybody he sees is Rory Gilmore.

He's 32 when he receives his Masters, and he's 33 when he receives an associate professor's position at Mount St. Mary's. He still looks like he's 25 and the girls in his classes adore his brooding personality and dark eyes. They fall on his every word, even if they have no interest in literature. He chain smokes during his office hours, setting off the fire alarm three times in his first year. The students respond well to him, and his literature classes are the most popular on campus by his third year there. He still feels pangs when he sees blue-eyed girls, but they get duller with each day.

When he's 37, he's offered a position at NYU that he gratefully accepts. He teaches American Literature and Political Literature, the latter of which thrills him to no end. Into the beginning of his first semester, he meets a 34-year-old political science professor named Corrine Mathews. She has long blonde hair, and the second brightest blue eyes he's ever seen. He can picture the only eyes he's ever seen that outshine Corrine's, but the girl's name doesn't roll as easily off his tongue as it used to.

He's 40 when he and Corrine become engaged to be married. She's 3 months pregnant with twins when they finally get married. Corrine wants a fairy tale wedding, and Jess is willing to let her have her way on most issues. He does, however, refuse to be married in a gazebo. He's not sure why, but he knows he doesn't want to be. Luke is his best man, of course. Lorelai and their three children attend the wedding, as well. Jess hugs Lorelai tightly and thanks her for coming. He doesn't think twice when he's introduced to his youngest cousin, a girl with bright blue eyes named Lorelai who goes by the nickname Lori.

When he's 46, he becomes a fulltime professor. He's well liked by all his students, and the heated discussions the classes get into are well known all around campus. On the first day of class, he tells students that if they don't have strong convictions, to drop the class immediately because he'll have no qualms failing them. For each student that drops the course, there are three more waiting to take it. He meets a lovely young lady named Joanna Huntzberger in one of his classes. Her sharp wit, angel face, and bright blue eyes remind him of someone, but he can't put his finger on whom.

He gets frustrated every year towards the end of the semester. It is then that he teaches a book that drives him insane. It is his students' favorite portion of the class, because it is the portion that he himself is most passionate about. His vile hatred for this book leads to constant heated battles. He sits in his study, grumbling in annoyance as he reads forty-some papers on this dreadful piece of literature. His three children know not to disturb him during these few weeks.

His wife always suggests that he simply remove The Fountainhead from his curriculum. Jess always refuses, but leaves his reasons for doing so unsaid.


End file.
